Golf club head

ABSTRACT

A golf club head includes a head member having a front striking surface, a rear side, a top side, and a bottom side; a counterweight provided in at least one of the rear side and the bottom side; and a shock-absorbing member provided between the counterweight and the at least one of the rear side and the bottom side.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a golf club head, and more particularly to agolf club head having shock-absorbability and adjustability in a centerof gravity thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art

Golf clubs are generally classified as wood clubs, iron clubs and putterclubs. Golfers who play a high degree of skill and using good form mustuse an appropriate golf club for driving the golf ball, so as to ensurethat the struck ball moves in a path as far, high and straight aspossible. Thus, golfers always select the clubs according to theirshock-absorbability, reboundability and derivation tolerance.

The shock-absorbability of golf clubs relates to the moment of inertia(MOI) and the vibration of the head and the ball produced upon hittingthe ball. When a ball is struck by a club head having a high shockabsorbability, the stability of the ball is improved, the difficultiesin achieving stable control of the struck ball are reduced and thedistance that the struck ball travels is increased.

The reboundability relates to the time of contact between the ball andthe golf club head upon hitting the golf ball as well as to theclubface's coefficient of restitution (COR). The greater the COR value,the larger the rebound force. The energy transferred from the head tothe struck ball is high enough to spin the ball and to cause the ballmoving in a higher path and farther distance.

Further, the center of gravity of the golf club head affects the path inwhich the struck ball moves. When the center of gravity of the golf clubhead is higher, it is much more difficult for a golfer to strike a ballso that it has a higher and farther trajectory. Further, perimeterweighted clubs are more forgiving on off-center hits. Thus, if thecenter of gravity of the golf club head is close to the strikingsurface, the golf club head might undergo twisting due to an off-centerhit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide agold club head that has good shock-absorbability.

Further, another object of this invention is to provide a golf club headthat has not only good shock-absorbability but also good adjustabilityin the center of gravity thereof.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a golf club headcomprises a head member including a front striking surface, a rear side,a top side, and a bottom side; a counterweight provided in at least oneof the rear side and the bottom side; and a shock-absorbing memberprovided between the counterweight and the at least one of the rear sideand the bottom side.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the first preferred embodimentof a golf club head in which a shock-absorbing member and acounterweight are provided on a bottom surface of the golf club head ata position adjacent to a rear surface thereof;

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the second preferredembodiment of the golf club head in which the shock-absorbing member andthe counterweight are provided on the rear surface at a positionadjacent to the bottom surface; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it shouldbe noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numeralsthroughout the disclosure.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a wood golf club head 2 of the first preferredembodiment of this invention. The golf club head 2 comprises a headmember 21, a counterweight 23 and a shock-absorbing member 22. The headmember 21 has a hollow shell wall 210 including a front striking surface211, a curved rear side 212, a top side 217, and a bottom side 213. Arecessed surface 214 is provided in the bottom side 213 at a positionadjacent to an intersection of the rear side 212 and the bottom side213. A plurality of venting holes 215 which extend through the recessedsurface 214 are provided in said hollow shell wall 210, so as to fluidlycommunicate the interior of the hollow shell 210 with the environmentexterior to the golf club head 2.

The shock-absorbing member 22 is provided in the recessed surface 214and confines a cavity 216 within the recessed surface 214. Theshock-absorbing member 22 is preferably made of rubber and is attachedto the recessed surface 214 of the head member 21, preferably by anadhesive.

A counterweight 23 is received in the cavity 216 confined by theshock-absorbing member 22 within the recessed surface 214. As such, theshock-absorbing member 22 is provided between the counterweight 23 andthe recessed surface 214.

The shock-absorbing member 22 provided in the club head 21 in thisinvention absorbs shock induced upon hitting a ball and thus, reducesthe undesirable vibrational force transmitted to the golf club head 2.The counterweight 23 is tightly fitted in the cavity 216 confined by theshock-absorbing member 22, and is not released therefrom when the golfclub head 2 hits a ball.

Preferably, the counterweight 23 originally fitted in the golf club head2 is removable from the cavity 216 by using a special tool to therebyenable replacement by another counterweight, which is heaver or lighterthan the original one. By making such replacement, the center of gravityof the golf club head 2 may be adjusted to best suit the golfer'srequirements. For instance, the center of gravity of the golf club head2 can be lowered by replacing a light counterweight with a heavycounterweight. To allow such adjustments to be made, a plurality of thecounterweights 23 with different weights may be provided with the golfclub head 2.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show an iron golf club head 2′ of the second preferredembodiment of this invention. The iron golf club head 2′ comprises ahead member 21′ having a front striking surface 211′, a rear side 212′,a top side 217′, and a bottom side 213′; a counterweight 23′; and ashock-absorbing member 22′. In the iron golf club head 2′ of the secondembodiment, the shock-absorbing member 22′ and the counterweight 23′ areprovided on the rear side 212′ at a position adjacent to an intersectionof the rear side 212′ and the bottom side 213′. Due to the function ofthe shock-absorbing member 22′, shock and vibration which would betransmitted to the iron golf club head 2′ can be reduced. The center ofgravity of the golf club head 2′ can also be adjusted according to thegolfer's needs.

In view of the aforesaid, the golf club head 2,2′ according to thepresent invention has the following advantages:

-   -   1. Due to the presence of the shock-absorbing member 22, 22′,        shock and vibration produced upon hitting a ball with the golf        club head 2, 2′ can be reduced. As such, the golfer can stably        control the path of the struck ball. Risk of injury to the        golfer caused by vibrations in the head club head 2, 2′ can also        be reduced.    -   With the further provision of the venting holes 215 on the        recessed surface 216, vibrations in the golf club head 2, can be        further reduced due to the fluid communication between the        exterior and interior of the golf club head 2.    -   2. Because of the reduction of vibration, energy loss between        the golf club head 2,2′ and the ball is decreased while the time        of contact therebetween is increased. Thus, the golf club head        2, 2′ can exhibit good reboundability, and the golfer can better        control the trajectory of the ball.

3. Since the counterweight 23, 23′ fitted in the head member 21, 21′ isreplaceable, the center of gravity of the golf club head 2, 2′ can beadjusted according to the golfer's demands. For example, the center ofgravity of the golf club head 2,2′ may be made lower and closer to therear side 212, 212′ when a heavier counterweight 23, 23′ is fitted inthe cavity 216, 216′ .

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatis considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it isunderstood that this invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements includedwithin the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

1. A golf club head comprising: a head member including a front strikingsurface, a rear side, a top side, and a bottom side; a counterweightprovided in at least one of said rear side and said bottom side; and ashock-absorbing member provided between said counterweight and said atleast one of said rear side and said bottom side.
 2. The golf club headaccording to claim 1, wherein said at least one of said rear side andsaid bottom side has a recessed surface for receiving said counterweightand wherein said shock-absorbing member is provided between saidcounterweight and said recessed surface.
 3. The golf club head accordingto claim 1, wherein said counterweight is provided in said bottom sideat a position adjacent to an intersection of said rear side and saidbottom side.
 4. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein saidcounterweight is provided on said rear side at a position adjacent to anintersection of said rear side and said bottom side.
 5. The golf clubhead according to claim 2, wherein said shock-absorbing member confinesa cavity, said counterweight being press-fitted in said cavity and beingdetachable from said cavity.
 6. The golf club head according to claim 2,wherein said head member has a shell wall which includes said frontstriking surface, said rear side, said top side, and said bottom side,said shell wall including a plurality of venting holes which extendthrough said recessed surface.